RABED 01

Chapter 1 — Running Away Before the Runaway Empress

“Have you ever known what it means to worry?”

The Emperor of the Hernia Empire suddenly appeared and picked a fight with the Empress out of nowhere. He clicked his tongue as he scanned the Empress, who was calmly sipping tea, from head to toe, then walked past her.

The teacup in the Empress’s hand trembled. With impressive self-control, she gently set the cup down.

The tea inside rippled delicately, mirroring her unsettled emotions.

The Empress stood up and looked at Lelia. Sensing something ominous, Lelia instinctively averted her eyes, but the Empress marched toward her.

Lelia casually slipped behind Sara, trying to escape attention, but the Empress wasn’t one to ignore such efforts. She reached past Sara and grabbed Lelia’s shoulder.

“Come, Lelia.”

Lelia could feel the Empress’s grip trembling with fury. Fearing the backlash, Lelia tried to wiggle free.

“I’m kind of busy today…”

“Lelia.”

Caught by the Empress and unable to escape, Lelia was dragged away helplessly.

Once they entered the Empress’s chambers and the door shut, the Empress dropped the act.

“That f***ing bastard.”

The voice was low and gruff—entirely unlike the graceful tone from moments before.

Lelia didn’t bat an eye. Of course she didn’t. She knew full well that the person before her wasn’t really the Empress, but a brawny man pretending to be her.

A man who, using trickery, had disguised his appearance and voice to impersonate the Empress—for the sake of his twin sister, the real Empress, Diana.

Ever since Lelia discovered his identity, he had vented his stress freely in her presence.

“Careful, you’ll mess up your wig if you keep freaking out like that.”

The “Empress,” who had been angrily raking his fingers through his hair, let out a snort.

“This isn’t a wig. It’s my real hair.”

As he tossed his long hair that reached near his waist, Lelia let out a quiet sigh of admiration. It was so silky, it looked like fine silk. Even with thick waves, there wasn’t a single tangle.

“You grow it out?”

“You don’t?”

Lelia sheepishly touched the bun stuffed under her hairnet.

“Guess I do.”

“You’ve got a comeback for everything.”

“I surrender. I can’t win against Your Majesty.”

The man stared at Lelia in silence, then cracked his neck and stepped closer.

As Lelia took a step back, he took another step forward to close the distance.

Realizing it was pointless to retreat, she gave up and stood still. He gently smoothed a stray strand of hair from her forehead, then suddenly snapped his fingers in front of her face.

Their eye level changed in an instant. The figure of the Empress vanished, and the man’s true form appeared.

Unfortunately, his tall, broad frame had completely ripped apart the dress, leaving it unrecognizable.

His muscular body, wide shoulders, chiseled collarbones, and thick arms were all exposed. As Lelia admired the peculiar sight, she pointed at the torn dress.

“You ripped your dress.”

“I know.”

“Where did those pants come from?”

She asked sincerely, but he misunderstood her curiosity and grinned slyly—a smile that made her want to punch him.

“Are you disappointed?”

“Not even a little.”

While still playing with the stray hairs around her face, his hand moved to the net holding her hair and boldly pulled it loose.

Lelia’s long, wavy hair cascaded down past her waist. As he began to twirl her hair with his fingers, he spoke.

“Say my name.”

“Lady Diana.”

“That’s my sister.”

“Lord Vance.”

“Who’s that?”

“Sir Vanti?”

“Wanna die?”

“Would you do it for me?”

“……”

He went quiet. He placed both hands on her shoulders, leaned down, and rested his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes.

“You look like someone who’s given up on life.”

“I have too much to live for. That’s why I stopped Your Majesty from running away.”

“Too bad. I already did.”

He smirked mockingly, and Lelia quickly turned her head to break their contact. But the man casually draped an arm around her neck.

Even as she tried to pull away, his solid arm wouldn’t budge. Knowing escape was futile, Lelia looked straight into his eyes and asked,

“So please, whatever I do… stay out of it.”

“Are you crazy?”

He frowned, staring at her intently.

“You expect me to just sit back and watch you run away?”

“Then don’t watch.”

“You think I can ignore it? Now that you’ve seen me like this…”

He paused. Then leaned in closer again. His warm breath brushed her lips as he spoke, then curled into a fierce grin.

“You belong to me now.”

She stared at him, utterly unimpressed.

“This is the part where you’re supposed to say, ‘We’re in this together.’”

“I was going to…”

He tilted his head thoughtfully, then looked at her again with a crooked smile.

“But I think I want to belong to you instead.”

She had a sinking feeling she’d walked right into a trap.

I don’t like this man.

I need to tear that trap apart.

---

* * *

Hello. It’s a beautiful day.

One month ago—

“Lelia, hurry up!”

—I became Lelia. And if you’re wondering who that is…

“The Empress doesn’t seem to be in a good mood again today.”

…I’m a lady-in-waiting serving directly under the Empress.

Lelia silently reflected on her situation by pretending to narrate it to herself.

When she first possessed this body, she didn’t even have time to think.

Without a moment to understand what was happening, she was rushed around by a fellow maid named Sara, who had trained in the same quarters, until she collapsed from exhaustion. The cycle repeated day after day.

Naturally, she came to learn more and more about this world, even against her will, and let out a deep sigh. It seemed she’d experienced the infamous “reincarnation into a novel” trope herself.

“She hasn’t even been eating properly for a few days now.”

Sara sighed with concern. She was worried about the Empress’s health, but Lelia’s eyes sparkled as she replied,

“That’s why I’m eating well.”

She patted her stomach proudly.

The Empress barely touched her extravagant meals, but the ever-hungry Lelia wasn’t about to let that food go to waste. Sara gasped in horror.

“A noble lady mustn’t eat others’ leftovers! Please stop doing that, alright?”

Sara scolded her like a little sister. A month ago, Lelia had slammed into a door and started bleeding from both nostrils—since then, she had been acting very strangely. But Sara couldn’t bring herself to abandon her.

In this brutal palace, no one was more reliable than a roommate.

Lelia felt the same. She had survived this long with her head still intact only thanks to Sara. Sara had even told her her name when she claimed to have forgotten it.

But even if she hadn’t, Lelia would’ve remembered the moment she saw the Empress’s face. The memories of the novel had come flooding back like waves.

Surprisingly clear, even though she hadn’t tried to recall them.

She wasn’t great with remembering names, but the plot of the novel? Every single detail was crystal clear.

It must be some sort of divine compensation for throwing me here.

Lelia groaned softly and tried to argue back.

“It was basically untouched. And I am just a maid.”

“Palace maids are all nobles! You’re the daughter of the White Viscount! I should’ve known when you started eating like a starving beggar a month ago!”

“Noble ladies aren’t supposed to talk like that either.”

Sara clicked her tongue at Lelia’s protests.

“You’ve been weird for a month now. I joked about you turning into a fool, but seriously… you’re not actually an idiot now, are you?”

“What? How did you know?”

Sara stopped walking and looked her up and down with pity. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and placed a hand on Lelia’s forehead.

“You know what? You’re like a completely different person. It’s like you’ve forgotten everything.”

“I am a different person.”

I’m actually a soul possessing Lelia’s body. If anyone sees the original owner, let me know. And while you’re at it, help me find my body too.

Sara, seemingly deaf to the truth, shook her head and kept walking.

“Your face has become so cold, and your manners are so coarse now… You used to be calm and quiet.”

Even though it sounded like criticism, Lelia didn’t flinch.

“I told you, I’m not Lelia. I’m someone else.”

“You’re not sick or anything, right?”

Sara clearly wasn’t listening. So Lelia returned the favor and ignored her words too.

They arrived at the palace garden. Among the blooming flowers, the Empress sat in a small gazebo enjoying tea.

Her beauty was unforgettable—like a living masterpiece. Sitting across from her was a handsome blonde man: the Emperor, the sun of the empire.

The male lead of this novel.

Seeing him for the first time in person, Lelia had to admit—he was ridiculously good-looking. But the words coming from his lips were nothing but cold.

“Empress. I don’t have time for idle chit-chat.”

“You don’t even have time for tea with me?”

“Do you think I do?”

Staring lovingly at the mistress beside him, the Emperor replied frostily. The Empress’s expression hardened instantly.

Watching the scene play out just like in the novel felt surreal… but also infuriating. No matter how handsome he was, his behavior made her scowl.

Sitting with a mistress in front of your wife was the ultimate form of disrespect. Especially when that wife was the Empress of the empire.

Even in the novel, the unspoken rule was to never flaunt your mistress in front of your wife.

But the Emperor had no such qualms.

The reason? Obvious. The Empress’s family.

Lelia shook her head.

She wasn’t in a position to worry about others right now.

Standing a distance away, Lelia tried to process everything that had happened so far. For the past month, she’d been so focused on survival that she hadn’t even had time to think.

One month ago, she’d been reincarnated into the body of a girl named Lelia.

The title of the novel was The Terminally Ill Empress Disappears.

The main tropes were: a regretful male lead and a runaway female lead. The Empress (the FL) runs away, and only then does the Emperor realize she was the only one he truly loved. He abandons his mistress and desperately searches for her.

Failing to find her, he turns on her former attendants in a fit of guilt and rage—and kills them all. Lelia was one of those attendants.

That was the gist of the original story.

A petal brushed the tip of her nose. Lelia flicked it off and murmured:

“I want to live, Sara.”

“I think you will live a long life.”

Even if it’s a lie… thanks.